Name: Onion soup with bone marrow and parmesan croûtons
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 140 min
Total time: 160 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 3.5 litres beef stock; 60 ml olive oil (¼ cup); 8 Spanish onions, thinly sliced; 250 ml dry white wine; 1 small star anise; Bone marrow and parmesan croûtons; 4 marrow bones (about 13cm long), split in half lengthways (see note); 6 thick slices crusty white bread, crusts removed; 60 gm finely grated parmesan

Onion soup with bone marrow and parmesan croûtons

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for onion soup with bone marrow and parmesan croûtons by April Bloomfield from New York restaurant The Breslin.

Serves 6

Prep

20M

Cook

2H 20M

Total

2H 40M

“This onion soup is so easy to make, and the bone marrow adds a hearty beef flavour to the croûtons.”

Ingredients

3.5 litres beef stock

60 ml olive oil (¼ cup)

8 Spanish onions, thinly sliced

250 ml dry white wine

1 small star anise

Bone marrow and parmesan croûtons

4 marrow bones (about 13cm long), split in half lengthways (see note)

6 thick slices crusty white bread, crusts removed

60 gm finely grated parmesan

Method

Main

1.Bring stock to the simmer over high heat in a large saucepan, then reduce to 2 litres (45 minutes-1 hour), set aside.

2.Meanwhile, heat oil in a separate wide saucepan over medium heat, add onion and stir occasionally until caramelised and very tender (20-30 minutes). Add wine, star anise and reduced stock. Simmer over low-medium heat until soup is well-flavoured (30-40 minutes), season to taste.

3.Meanwhile, for bone marrow and parmesan croûtons, bring a large saucepan of water to the simmer over low heat, add marrow bones, poach until marrow darkens around edges (3-5 minutes). Drain and refresh in iced water. Remove marrow from bones (discard bones), process in a small food processor until smooth. Pass through a coarse sieve into a bowl, refrigerate until required.

4.Heat 60gm bone marrow in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, add bread and turn occasionally until golden (2-3 minutes). Cover one side of each croûton with parmesan, reduce heat to medium, then flip over in pan and cook until cheese begins to turn golden and crisp (1-2 minutes). Serve immediately with hot onion soup.

Note You’ll need to ask your butcher to split the marrow bones for you. Reserve any remaining marrow for another use or discard.
This recipe is from the June 2010 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.
Drink Suggestion: Spicy shiraz. Drink suggestion by Max Allen
Notes